First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?
After Pittsburgh I had a brief time with the Packers. At the point when the Steelers released me I had a conversation with Bill Cowher. I wanted to explore coaching maybe at the college ranks. I wanted to stay close to the sport and looked into that. I went back to my school – the University of Connecticut – and talked to the Athletic Director and Head Coach then. After those conversations, though, I realized that while I loved to play the game I wouldn’t want to be a coach.
So what then?
I got into the medical device industry – like a lot of ex-athletes do. Especially into orthopedics. I started as a front line salesperson then held various leadership roles. The main area I’ve covered was interventional cardiology – starting with drug-coated stents which were new when I started. I found that fascinating.
When I think back, a former Connecticut teammate drew me into the business. You try to recreate the adrenaline and competitiveness of football, but that’s tough to recreate. He told me though that I needed to check this line of work out – that it was cutthroat, competitive – that every day was like game day and it could be financially rewarding if you did it well. SoI jumped right into it and have been in it ever since
How did you end up with the Steelers?
I was a two-time All American at Connecticut and broke a lot of receiving records there. That’s when we were Division 1-AA. I led the country in receiving my Senior year – but it was Division 1-AA so there were a lot of what-ifs in people’s minds.
At my pro day Pittsburgh was there. I ran a good 40 and they had us on the field for a good hour or so and I had a good workout. The scouts told me then that they probably wouldn’t draft me, but if not they’d want to sign me as a free agent and that I should be ready right away to join them. I wasn’t 6’0″ and 185 pounds, and I didn’t play against teams like Alabama. They felt I was more of a short-yardage wide receiver – more like a slot receiver today, but those didn’t exist then. If I played today I probably could have played for 10 years!
Well, that was Cowher’s first camp and he wanted everyone – vets and rookies – to all be there on day one. When the draft ended my agent told me Pittsburgh already called and wanted me on a plane that Thursday.
What made you such an effective receiver in college?
I think my football IQ. I went to college expecting to play quarterback. They told me that I’d get to play quarterback. What they don’t tell you is that they have eight other quarterbacks there! I wanted to get on the field though. I was athletic and understood the game from the quarterback’s perspective as a receiver and understood coverages, and I had good hands. So I ended up playing receiver. We didn’t study film as much then as we do now – I try to talk to my son about football and he just knows so much more than I do!
I remember in camp talking to Myron Cope about having no drops in camp. As an undrafted free agent you have to play mistake-free, run great routes and catch the ball, and I did that in camp. What helped too was that Bubby and Neil were in a real competition to start. Every snap was like a real game to them. So when they threw to a guy that was running the right routes and catching the ball – someone they trusted – they would want to keep going to them.
Did anyone take you under their wing there and help you when you got there – how so?
Merril, Bubby and Neil all helped. They were all great mentors and people – they looked out for me. They helped me deal with the pressure of camp. There were 14 wide receivers in camp but they told me to go out and catch the ball – just stay relevant. The odds were stacked against me but they told me that I should just keep going and if it didn’t work there, it would work somewhere else.
What helped you make the team after all that?
I tell my kids that you’re good, but you have to be a little bit lucky too. Louis Lipps held out so that was one wide receiver out – down to 13. Jeff Graham pulled a hamstring – now we’re down to 12. Ernie Mills and Dwight Stone tweaked their hamstrings and a rookie wasn’t doing some things well… I kept doing what I was supposed to do – learned the playbook and caught the ball.
It’s funny. When Cowher and Ron Erhardt stop calling you by your first and last name and give you a nickname and start talking to you when you’re in the locker room, those are key moments. They know I’m here.
My big break was when we played Philadelphia in the first preseason game. I thought I might get a chance to play and they surprised me by having me start on special teams on the opening kickoff.
Well, at halftime Cowher was talking to Erhardt and told him he didn’t give a shit who he put in at wide receiver, just get someone in there that knows how to run routes and catch the ball.
What was the issue in the first half?
We had some people line up wrong and run wrong routes, and had some drops that first half. It was Cowher’s first game as a coach and he wasn’t happy.
Well, Erhardt looks at me and tells me I’m starting the second half. Well the second play of that first series after the half I run a flag and Neil threw it and I caught it for a big gain. I ended up catching three passes and had a touchdown that half.
After that whenever Cowher yelled at me Merril would tell me it was a good thing – when they stop noticing you, that’s when it’s bad! I actually sprained my ankle that game and missed two practices. I was still hurt when I came back but I caught passes from Bubby and Neil and I remember Erhardt telling me it was good to have me back.
What was life for you like on the practice squad?
The day of the last cuts I was working out with Merril and Neil when they came and got me. Merril told me not to worry – that it was a good thing. Cowher told me they loved what I was doing and wanted me on the practice squad if I cleared waivers, and when I got a shot to make sure I was ready.
I never felt not a part of the team on the practice squad. Not everyone can be starters. The scout team was an important aspect of the team – important in helping prepare the starters and to earn your stripes. I made sure to give good looks to DJ Johnson, Woodson, Lake, Lloyd, Perry – I wanted to be sure they were ready on Sundays.
They had me play outside and inside receiver, and when we played Cleveland they had me line up in the backfield like Eric Metcalf. Cowher told me I was going to need to run the ball up the middle in practice against our defense! I think after a while the starters took notice of my work ethic.
Any memories stand out most to you of your time there?
Christmas at Merril’s house with Bubby’s father there and just earning their respect.
And when I got a shot to play – that was incredible, especially for a guy like Bill Cowher. We were banged up at receiver going in to play Buffalo. I was from Syracuse and knew all about the team and Rich Stadium. Bill Cowher told me the week before the game that I was going to go with the team to Buffalo. I wasn’t going to dress for the game but he wanted me to see how we prepared for a road game because there was a chance they’d need to activate me soon. It was a great experience going to Buffalo – my family was at the game.
Well, the following Monday Cowher came up to me and told me that they were activating me for the next game and that all he expected from me was to do everything I did since I’ve been there. It was a conversation I’ll never forget!
As a bubble guy who needed to earn his stripes, I wanted to enjoy every second of the experience of being in Pittsburgh. I was the last of seven kids – my dad was a high school coach. To be able to go and play for the Steelers versus Detroit on Sunday was an amazing feeling.
Any other experiences stand out to you there?
Just creating that bond with guys like Thigpen, Mills, Graham and Stone. But it wasn’t just them – when you’re activated you go to the main part of the locker room and my locker ended up being next to Lloyd’s. One of my fondest memories was getting to know him. I remember sitting there that first day and he looked at me and just said “You’re next to me?” In three years of college as a starter I didn’t get to meet everyone on the team like I did in Pittsburgh. It was a unique experience.
We had camp in the offseason – it wasn’t OTA’s then. Everyone had roommates and this is when they signed Kevin Greene. He ended up being my roommate – this was a guy I watched play as a kid and was a big fan of. When he saw me he said “You’re a wide receiver aren’t you?” He couldn’t believe they put him in with a receiver. He told me they must trust me to keep an eye on him! That night he asked if I wanted to go out for dinner and we ended up going to a place in Mt. Washington. I just watched everyone look at us – they were all surprised: “That’s Kevin Greene!” He was a class act – I was fortunate to get to know him.
Bubby – he didn’t take life too seriously. He enjoyed life, let’s put it that way! I remember once midseason after a game on Sunday, he left the locker room and was getting into a limo. I asked him where he was going and he told me he was going to Philly to meet up with some friends. Well on Monday I get to the facilities and I see the limo with Bubby pulling back in!
We also played in the first ever American Bowl in Barcelona. That was against the 49ers in ’93. I remember sitting on the field and watching Jerry Rice – the best receiver ever, and Steve Young. Getting to compete against those guys was great – and I played well that game. We were in Barcelona for 10 days and played in that massive soccer stadium. Doing that against guys like Rice and Young is something you dream about.
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